UWOFA |

Benefits

For faculty, librarians and archivists

The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) is a union representing about 1,500 faculty members and 50 librarians and archivists at the University of Western Ontario in London.

UWOFA negotiates collective agreements, advises members on employment matters, handles workplace disputes and grievances, and advances the professional interests of faculty members, academic librarians and archivists.

In the broader community, UWOFA representatives meet with provincial and federal politicians to ensure members' voices are heard and reflected in education and labour policy decisions. As well, UWOFA strives to engage members and citizens through awareness campaigns regarding post-secondary education during general membership meetings, community events, contact with journalists, and town hall discussions.

Contract Faculty Work: A Member's Perspective

I am a contract faculty member. I usually don't lead with that in conversations and most people just assume I am tenured since I've been at my institution for so long. But no, that hasn't yet been an option for me. I don't think many students know or recognize who is tenured and who is a contract worker. They would be surprised to know how many of their undergraduate instructors are just like me.

Read Anita's article here

Faculty Bargaining Unit meeting to review details of tentative Collective Agreement

November 14, 2018

UWOFA faculty members are encouraged to attend a Bargaining Unit meeting next week to hear details of the tentative faculty Collective Agreement.

November 7 Bargaining Update - Vol. 7 No. 14

November 7, 2018

Yesterday, at this late stage in bargaining, the employer asked your negotiating team for concessions in our existing health benefits package - concessions that had not been proposed in their previous offers at the table.

It's Time to Reinvest in Western's Core Mission: A Bargaining Issues Update - Vol. 7 No. 8

November 6, 2018

Western’s financial position is extremely strong, and yet the Board of Governors and administration consistently choose not to reinvest in the core mission of quality education, teaching and research. As our examination of the university's budget reveals, the university has accumulated close to $700 million in surplus over the past 9 years. It recently completed a fund-raising campaign that raised over $800 million. Student tuition has been rising steadily over the past 5 years. In February of 2018, Standard and Poor's affirmed Western’s AA credit rating, noting the university’s “high levels of cash and available financial resources.” According to the rating agency, Western’s “financial assets are sufficient such that it would likely not default on its obligations under a provincial stress scenario in which all government funding was temporarily disrupted”.

Contract faculty work: a member's perspective

November 5, 2018

I have tried to just learn to live with the situation I am in as I do love this school and the group of colleagues I am privileged to work with who also devote most of their time to teaching. But when there are discussions that our faculty union is fighting for better job security for people like me, I have a glimmer of hope that I don't have to do my job with fear nagging in the background.